Saint Ryoga!
by Plantress
Summary: One day Ryoga's hopeless sense of direction leads him to Greece and a place he didn't expect to find there.  Just what is a 'Saint' exactly?


A/N: This. Took. Forever. Seriously, I have been working on this thing for close to three years. See, I have liked Ranma 1/2 longer than I have liked Saint Seiya. I had always thought about creating a crossover between the two of them. At first I was toying with the idea of doing something like Shiryu falling into the spring of drowned girl, but then one day I was trying to write something and accidentally typo-ed 'Ryoga' instead of 'Hyoga'. Thus this plotbunny was born. I started working on it back then, but then the almost finished draft of it was lost forever when my computer died. I tried to rewrite it on my new computer, but that was when the computer had to be reformatted and I lost it again. I lost interest in it for a bit after that, then tried to come back to it. However, I got distracted from it for a while until I found the half finished story sitting on my hard drive as I was going through things. That was when I became determined to finish it, and now here it is.

I had a lot of trouble with the fight scenes and I'm worried I made Ryoga sound more like Ranma than himself. It was my first time writing him you see.

**Saint Ryoga**

Ryoga knew that he wasnt the fastest thinker in the world. That people like Ranma would say he was dense or just call him an idiot, but just because it took him a while to reach a conclusion didnt mean he was completely stupid.

He glanced up at his surroundings, then down at the map he was holding, then up at the landscape again, then down at the map. He looked up one last time and his hands clenched tightly in a mixture of frustration and confusion. The map tore in two.

Where am I now! echo around the area. There was no answer from the surrounded landscape, but it wasnt as if he really expected one. This was a rough looking place, rocky and uneven with cliffs jutting high into the air. Scattered here and there were ruins. White columns stuck up of the ground in odd places, most of them cracked or ruined in some way admits tumbles of white stones that were overgrown with wiry looking plants. They did not look anything like you would find in Japan.

He stared at the ruins. Where was this? Greece? It looked like the pictures of Greek things he had seen on TV at least, but that made no sense! How the heck could he have ended up in i_Greece?/i _He tried to remember back over the last couple of days to be sure this wasnt some strange dream.

He had stated off in Japan, he knew that much. It had been raining, and growing dark so he had decided to try finding a place to spend the night in. But before he could do that, a car had driven by and splashed through a puddle of water. As P-chan, he had managed to drag his backpack to a place that had been sheltered from the rain, then crawled inside it to sleep. It wasnt as if it was the first time had been in this situation. All he would have been forced to do was find hot water in the morning.

That was the part he remembered Cleary. The next part was where things got a bit fuzzy. He had been a sleep when a sudden loud rumbling had woken him up. Before he could scramble out of his backpack, he had heard a couple of voices arguing right over his head. Then someone had managed to heave his backpack up, then over and onto something. Before he could figure out what was happening, several other heavy..i_things/i _had been dropped on top of the backpack. By the time he managed to recover he was being dumped onto something that was moving upwards. He had poked his head out just before hed tumbled into the belly of the plane, the other suitcases behind him on the conveyor belt falling on him and stunning him again just as he realized what had happened. The plane had been taking off by the time hed managed to climb out of the mountain of luggage that had been thrown on top of him.

_iButI didnt think the plane ride lasted that long./i._ Ryoga thought as he looked around a landscape that seemed almost alien to him. Okay, that was a lie. The plane ride had seemed to last forever, but he had assumed that was because he had been in hell. It was cold, and hard to breath and generally a hellish ride in that luggage compartment. Landing had been a relief from the torment. After managing to dodge a few airport personnel as he crept out of the plane, he had finally found hot water and managed to change back. Then he had set about figuring out where he was. Since inquires had been meet with odd looks and people seeming shocked when they realized he had meant someplace in Japan, he had realized he wasnt likely there anymore. He had learned he was in the west, and had assumed that meant he had ended up in China for the tenth time.

Since he didnt have enough money for any sort of transportation back to Japan, he been forced to stow away on the next ship he saw leaving the port. After the ship had reached its destination, he had managed to sneak off the ship on land, only to be caught at the end and forced to run away. He had accidentally ended up running to farand was now here. In Greece. Nearly a half a world away from Japan, Nerima, and his beloved Akane-san. Akane-san, who was even now alone with Ranma

This isnt fair! He shattered a nearby boulder but even that failed to dispel his frustration. This was bad, even for his sense of direction! Why did things like this always happen to him? Why was it always him that was forced to suffer? Was it punishment for something he had done in a past life?

Hey! the call made his head snap up and Ryoga looked around for its source. What are you doing? The voice was coming from above him. Ryoga jumped back, dropping his backpack. There was someone standing at the top of the cliff, and he didnt know if it was friend or foe.

Whos there? he yelled at the figure.

Im the one who should be asking that! the figure demanded, then jumped lightly down the cliff.

_iHes a martial artist./i _Ryoga thought grimly. The person was a young man, someone either his own age or near it with sandy blond hair. He was also wearing armoror at least Ryoga thought it was suppose to be armor. It didnt seem to cover him well enough to offer any real protection. Besides he was wearing a tight jump suit under it that made him seem like a refugee from a sentai show and a i_horn/i _on his head. It wasnt exactly terror inspiring. But, Ryoga knew better than to underestimate this man. He had learned that even the strangest looking people could be powerful martial artists. This guy carried himself with confidence, and Ryoga could vaguely sense a powerful chi coming of him.

You havent answered my question yet, the strange marital artist said. I asked what you were doing here.

He started walking forward, menace clear in his moments. Ryoga tensed. He didnt want to get into a fight if he could help it, but he had a feeling this man wouldnt give him a choice. Still, he would try to talk first. If the other man decided not to listen, then so be it.

Im not looking for trouble. I just got lost. If you tell me where I am then I would be happy to leave.

Thats impossible, the man said flatly, shifting his stance ever so slightly. Ryoga did the same. You cant just wander into Sanctuary! No one can just i_happens/i_ to get lost and manages to find this place. He paused and seemed to peer closer at Ryoga.

.You got lost. Thats how you ended up coming in the back, the man had relaxed and rubbed his forehead. Why do I have to deal with these things? Its not even my job.

Look if you would just tell me how to get out of here you would even have to do that.. the sentence ended on a yelp as the martial artist sudden grabbed his arm and yanked him off balance. Hey! Ryoga tensed, waiting for the blow to landbut none came. Instead he found himself being tugged along as the martial artist walked away. He tried to regain some sort of control, but he was off balance. The martial artitst was stronger than he looked as well. Let me go!

No! Its your own fault for being late! You know how much trouble you caused? Everyone was freaking out because there was an uneven number of fighters!

Wait, what? Stared for a moment. Late? But he had never been here before! Look, I think you have me mixed up with someone

I dont see why I have to play babysitter, the martial artist didnt appear to notice he had said anything. Im already doing practically everything else around here! Does anyone else volunteering to kick the guards into shape? No, of course not!

Are you even listening to me!

I dont see why I even have do things like this anymore. Its not like anyone actually i_notices/i. _Even Saori-ojousan doesnt notice doesnt notice. But then again, why would she? She has the great _Seiya _by her side. Not that he really does much any more. No, thats left to everyone else since hes so i_special./i _

Hey!

Whats so special about him anyway? Its not like hes that much better than the rest of us!

Would you listen to me! I said Im A massive crash interrupted him. Off to their side a pillar fell, dust and gravel exploding into the air. Both of them stopped and glanced over. For a second nothing moved, then as the dust cleared a man struggled out of the mound of rock that was all that was left of the stone column. Before the man could get fully clear of the pile, he was attacked and driven back into it.

What is it? the man who had been dragging him said irritably. He seemed unimpressed by the fight going on.

But..that.. he glanced at the fight. His guide snorted.

Its just a couple of trainees. Now come on!

Ryoga allowed himself to be towed away slightly stunned. i_Trainees?/i _His guide had acted like that was normal. As he finally got over his shock, he started to notice that they werent wandering through deserted landscape anymore. There were buildings scattered around them now. There wasnt that many, that was true. The construction of those that he could see varied from mere wooden huts to fantastic Greek temples built out of what stone. Most of the latter seemed to be grouped on a massive hill he could just see peeking over the rest of Sanctuary.

There were people here too. They paid no attention to him or his guide as he was towed along, and all of them were wearing at least a piece of leather armor over tunics and leggings. Some of them were walking or sitting and talking but the vast majority were involved in what he realized were either training, or sparring like the two earlier had been. Both the training and the sparring was some of the most vicious examples of such he had seen. No one seemed to care if they got hurt, or how badly they hurt their opponents.

Where the heck am I? he muttered, half to himself. His guide must have hard because he glanced back and gave him an odd look.

Sanctuary, his guide said shortly, in a tone that clearly say its-obvious-idiot, before turning back around. Ryoga fumed silently for a moment, but another shout caused him to be dragged back to the reality around him. The training was really brutal, but it also felt strangely familiar to seem him. In factit was sort of like what Cologne had put him and Ranma through when she had been training them in the ancient Amazon techniques.

_iThis is a martial arts school!/i _he realized suddenly, then felt like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner. Of course it was, why else would it have so many fighters training at the same time? He gazed around at the landscape, remembering the power of some of the martial artist they had passed, then looked up at his guide. i_He thinks Im someone that belongs here. He called me a trainee/i. _If they thought he was a student heremaybe he would be able to pick up new techniques. Powerful ones that could match anything Cologne had taught Ranma.

But wouldnt it be dishonorable to pretend to be someone else? What if he was found out? He didnt think they would take kindly to him just pretending to be someone else and stealing their probably secret techniques. Maybe he should just ask to be taken into the school? But a school like this didnt seem like it would take in just anyone..

Were here. His guide stopped suddenly, which caused Ryoga to run into him.

Hey!

Youre the once who should pay attention! his guide snapped back. Youre the on whos risking being late by just stand there! Now come on!

Ryoga found himself being dragged forward once again. His guide was headed toward a high curved wall made of light brown stone. A massive wooden door that was propped slightly open sat in the middle of the wall. He could hear the faint sounds of a crowd beyond that door.

What is that?

Its the coliseum,his guide have him another annoyed glance. Where else do you think youll be fighting for your Cloth?

Cloth? His guide turned around to say something to him, an annoyed look flashing across his face.

Jabu! A voice hailed before either of them could say anything. Ryoga looked over and froze, staring. He had though this guides armor was odd. But this was almost odder than that. The man approaching them was wearing armor as well, but this was a full suit of it. A bright golden suit of armor. It should have looked strange on him, but for some reason it seemed to suit the new arrival. He carried it like it was part of him.

Has there been trouble? I thought you were in charge of the patrols for today?

Lord Dohko, his guide said respectfully. I am, but I though part of my duty should be bringing a missing trainee to where he belongs.

Missing trainee? Lord Dohko paused to take a closer look at him. Ryoga tensed involuntarily. He had the sudden feeling that this man was looking straight through his soul and knew he didnt belong her. What he would do to an imposter he wasnt sure, but Ryoga knew it wouldnt be pretty. There was a sense of power and confidence about this Lord Dohko that made him sure it would be a hard fight But then Dohko smiled at him.

We were worried about you. We thought we would have to start with out you!

Uh, yeah, sorry, Ryoga didnt know what else to say and looked away, trying to avoid this Lord Dohkos eyes. Something made him wary of this golden warrior. I just go at little lost.

A little? His guide, Jabu had to be his name, said. You ended up at the back way in!

I have a lousy sense of direction, all right!

Thats more than lousy, that..!

Thats enough. The two of you can settle this later, Lord Dohkos voice was mild but there was a hint of steel in it that caused both of them to freeze. Ryoga felt a pang of respect for this man. He was powerful, whoever it was. Powerful enough that his own aura seemed to overwhelm his own. But he was smiling and seemed more amused. We need to get our friendwhat was your name again?

Mine? he blinked in surprise. Its Ryoga..

Very well, we need to get Ryoga to his test before any thing else As he was talk, Lord Dohko had come up beside him and put a friendly hand on his shoulder. Before Ryoga could resist he found himself being pushed forward. ..hes late enough as it is!

Ryoga tried to come up with something to say to that, but before he could make up his mind he found himself shoved through the double doors followed by a fatalistic slam as the closed behind him.

Hey! he snapped whirling around but the barrier was firmly in place. His shout sounded unusually loud in the utter silence the fell for a moment then a rush of mutters and whispers came soon after it. Even as he started to turn around he knew that people were there. He had been training his senses for too long not to have noticed that. It was the amount of people that he saw when he turned around that cause him freeze in shock.

There were people staring at him. Many, many, many people silently staring at him form the high seats surrounding the coliseum. For long moments there wasnt any sound, even as Ryoga mentally wished to turn invisible, or the ground to open under, or even random ninjas to attack. Anything to distract from him, and the obvious fact that he was an interloper. This was probably an elaborate trap and they were going to jump him at any moment..

Someone cleared their throat loudly and pointy. Rygoa finally looked away from the staring hordes and realized he wasnt totally alone on the sandy floor of the coliseum. There was a line of fighter standing at the other end of it, all of which were now giving him expectant and annoyed looks too. After a moment he remembered what the others had mentioned about there being some sort of _test._ Maybe he wasnt hopelessly trapped after all.

Sorry! he said, doing a quick bow before hurrying to stand at the end of the line. The others in line seemed to be all men around his age they grumbled some then turned settled down and turned their attention back to what was in front of them. Ryoga took the cue and glanced forward.

High up on the wall of the coliseum was a special platform, one with a Very Important Person standing on it. At least Ryoga assumed he was important what with the fancy robes, jewelry and bright golden helmet. The person cleared their throat.

If we may continue, the voice that spoke was definitely male. As I was saying, this is an important occasion. The one that succeeds here will be qualified to wear a Cloth, and become one of the strongest warriors in the entire world

Ryoga mind barely registered any of his words after that. There was a lot of stuff about honor and protecting but that wasnt important. He had no idea what the Cloth thing this guy had mentioned was, but he didnt care. Not when he had a chance at becoming one of the strongest warriors in the world! If he could achieve that, if he could master whatever training they offered herethen he would be strong enough to defeat Ranma the next time he saw him! He could almost _see _it even know..

_iRyoga stands over the fallen body of the other man, gazing at him in abject pity. _

_I told you, he says, that you could not stand against him. I will spare your life, but remember this lesson. _

_How, how did you get so strong? Ranma asks as forces his eyes up to look at the man who had defeated him. _

_Im sorry, but that is something Im not allowed to tell you, Ryoga replies. The training to become the strongest warrior in the world is not something that can be told to just anyone. _

_I could never be worthy of such knowledge, the defeated man says as he collapses back to earth. You have become far stronger than I am. I am totally defeated. _

_Oh Ryoga, comes a soft female voice. Akane steps forward her eyes shining. Youve become so strong and reliable /i_

Begin!

It was only instinct and the practice he had had dodging attacks in Nemria that saved Ryoga. He sensed the blow before it landed and ducked, lashing out with a hind kick to drive his attacker back. All over the arena fights had broken out, the crowd yelling encouragement to them. i_I thought this was a tournament or something!/i _ran unbidden through Ryogas mind as he watched the man who had attacked him, a tall heavily muscled guy, climb to his feet.

So you actually can hit, his opponent sneered. Ryoga didnt even bother to respond to that taunt. It didnt sting after all the taunts Ranma had thrown at him. He charged all the same though. If this was really a free-for-all he didnt want to be caught between two opponents. The taller guy was set and ready for him, but Ryoga wasnt trying to actually him.

Bakusai Tenketsu! He had aimed toward the ground right in front of his opponent, sending a spray of rocks and dust into the air. Ryoga had been prepare for it. His opponent was caught off guard.

What the hell? he coughed right before Ryoga landed a sharp blow to his chin. He grunted, and stumbled back but managed to stay upright, much to Ryogas amazement. Instead after a few moments the man shock his head and glared at him. Coward! A true man faces his opponents without resorting to dirty tricks!

At the thought of what Ranma, who seemed to thrive on resorting to dirty tricks, would say to something like that made Ryoga smirk a little. Unfortunately, his opponent seemed to take offense to that.

You think thats funny? his opponent snarled as he drew his fist back, then sent it strait at Ryogas head. Ryoga could already tell this guy was pretty strong, and knew that punch would hurt if it actually connectedbut compared to Ranma he was moving so slowly he might as well have been standing still. Whoever had trained him hadnt done a very good job either. His movements were too exaggerated and he was leaving himself far to exposed. He had openings all over his body during his attack, like the one that left Ryoga get in and land a powerful punch to his gut. The big buy reeled back with a pained grunt, but managed to take a step back and keep from falling over.

S..so you can fight, the bigger man managed to wheeze out even though his eyes were slightly unfocused. Not bad.

Not bad yourself, Ryoga admitted grudgingly. It took some stamina to stand up after taking one of his hits, and that wasnt just his own pride talking. He had trained long and hard to become as good as he had. But, he told the bigger man, Im afraid you arent good enough! Ryoga knew that he wasnt anywhere near as fast as Ranma was, but after years of sparring with him, he had gained a bit of speed of his own. His opponent grunted as Hyogas kick to his head caught him and sent him falling over backwards. He only hoped he the mans skull was really as tough as it seemed.

Something slammed in him into from behind, forcing his breath from his lungs as he went flying forward. Reflexes took over and he was able to turn the forward force into a controlled tumble that let him come to a stop mostly upright. As soon as he was stead he jumped to his feet, trying to ignore the pain in this back and the way he couldnt draw a good breath yet. He turned just in time to see another of his opponent, a slighter man around his own size, rushing towards him. Without thinking, he dodged to the side. This new opponent missed him by very little. As he rushed by, Ryoga reached up and grabbed at one of his headbands, wishing for his umbrella at the same time. It would have been so useful here!

As his opponent started to turn around, Ryoga snapped the small strip of cloth out, wrapping it around the other mans wrist and yanking him off balance enough that his guard was down for a split second. Ryoga took that small opportunity, lunging in with a punch of his own. However, the man was more agile than he thought and barely managed to dodge out of the way. His knee slammed up into Ryogas stomach, although this time he was prepared for the blow. It hurt, but he didnt loose his breath this time. Instead he pulled back enough to give him a tiny amount of space between the two of them and yank the headband free. This time he waited a couple of moments before swinging the headband at him again. The man smirked and reached up to catch it, a look of surprise crossing his face when a solid bar slammed into his hand.

It was enough time for Ryoga to find an opening and sweep his feet out from underneath him.

High up in one of the choice areas of the stands, claimed by virtue of their rank, a group of three Gold Saints were watching the proceedings. To be fair, it wasnt as if they had meant to take space from the other spectators. It had been Milo who had initially claimed a seat here, but after Aioria and Mu had both joined him that a sort of vacant area had developed around them. Although some of the lower ranked fighters might be willing to at least try to be friendly towards Aioria, they found the presence of three Gold Saints a little to intimidating to handle. Not that the others had even noticed it so far. They were far to engrossed by what was going on in one corner of the coliseum.

I thought they werent suppose to be using weapons, Milo said, arms crossed as he watched the later comer dealing with his opponent. Last I checked this Cloth didnt have anything that could be a weapon attached to it.

Before either of the other two could reply, a voice spoke from behind them. Thats not i_really/i _a weapon. Their little group turned to the speaker.

Lord Dohko, Mu said, faintly surprised. I didnt know that you were in Sanctuary. The other two mutter their own greetings.

Shion told me there was going to be a test today, The Libra Saint said as he took a seat. I was curious about the newest crop of trainees so I came to see if there were any particarlly promising ones. Dohko couldnt help grinning slightly. It looks like our late arrival does have some skill after all!

Howd you know about that? Milo demanded. He hadnt sensed the older Saint in the coliseum before the fight had started. And what else would you call that he waved towards where the later-comers opponent had barely managed to avoid a blow that shattered the ground, but a weapon?

I ran into him outside the coliseum, Dohko said she leaned against one of the seats, and thats a trick with cosmo. I saw it before, a long time ago. If you can feed your cosmo into a piece of cloth like that, you can manipulate it and make it stronger.

Huh, Milo turned back to the fight and watched as the late-comer managed to knock out his opponent, only to be forced to turn and meet the charge of yet another one. Well, its original, Ill give him that. I dont think _Ive _ever seen anyone in Sanctuary use it.

Probably because it requires a certain fighting style to really master, Dohko said, I have to admit, Im a little surprised that this boy is using it. It requires a rather delicate manipulation of cosmo to achieve and hewell As Dohko searched for the words the boy did something that shattered the ground, sending a screen of dust and rocks into the air. Then he charged through it and managed to catch his opponent a blow to the chin that sent him flying.

Hes not exactly a subtle fighter? Mu finished for the older Saint. I cant say hes without strategy but its not something that I would describe as delicate.

You do have a point there.

Down in the coliseum, Ryoga rushed t through the screen the dust had created, hoping to catch his opponent off guard. He stopped short when he caught site of the man still laying on the ground a few yards away. After several very slow moments ticked by he realized that the man wasnt making a move to get up.

Did I really hit him that hard? Ryoga muttered under his breath. That was when he realized there was a rather unnerving silence filling the ring how. He glanced around, and much to his surprised, realized that the crowd had fallen silent. There was also no one else actively trying to attack him at the moment. Slowly he straightened up out of the defensive stance he had been keeping since the whole battle had started.

Thats it? He said out loud. It has seemed a little too easy somehow, and good things never happened so easily for him. Unless fate had finally decide to reward him for his lifetime of suffering and let something good happen to him.!

A slow clapping echoed across the arena. I have to admit, I didnt think you would be this good, a voice drawled. Ryoga whirled around to find one more person standing. It was a guy around his age but taller, around six feet or so, with shaggy blond hair and a smirk on his face. That smirk immediately made Ryoga dislike him. It reminded him of Ranma and the stupid arrogance he had.

Its your fault for underestimating me then, Ryoga growled. Youre all thats left? I think this is going to be easy.

Now whos underestimating people? the guy smirked then suddenly charged at him, moving so fast that Ryoga barely had timed to raise his arms in a pathetic effort to stop the uppercut that launched him up into the air. He barely had time to even register the pain from that before he was falling to earth again, his rattled mind having only a second to able to grasp that hitting the earth was going to _hurt_ before suddenly that guy was there again, slamming a kick into his side that sent him flying across the arena.

That he felt. It _hurt_, a stead mantra of ow, ow, ow already running through his mind as he skidded to a stop. It was a long moment before he could force any air back into his lungs, but even before he had fully recovered he was climbing to his feet. One thing that had been driven into him in every battle he had been in, in every fight he had lost, was that you did not win by sitting still. He must have surprised his opponent as well since the young man raised an eyebrow at him.

I must say Im impressed, he said in that same self-confident drawl. You must be at least a little tougher than you look.

Ive been practicing, Ryoga managed to wheeze out, and against the person Ive been fighting against, youre nothing. He couldnt believe that this_guy _could be better than Ranma. For as long as he could remember, Ranma had been the goal he had been racing towards. No matter the opponent that he had come up against, Ranma had been the one who had emerged as the victor. There was no one his rival could have been upstaged so easily.

He must be rather impressive then, his opponent started to stalk toward him, was he your Master then? A Saint? Unless he was one or the other I cant comprehend how he could be any better than me.

No, he was my rival! Ryoga charged at the guy again, only this time he didnt bother to aim for the guys face. If this guy was anything like Ranma than regular attacks werent going to him.

What, did you miss something that obvious? his opponent taunted. Ryoga just smirked in reply.

Not quiet, he said as he struck the ground right next to his opponents feet . Bakusai Tenketsu! the ground exploded causing blondie to stagger. Ryoga aimed a side kick in his direction, and felt the rather satisfying impact as he managed to connected and heard the startled exclamation as his opponent went flying backwards. He was reach for another one of his bandanas as the dust started to clear, only to catch just a glimpse of his opponent already on his feet and rushing towards him. Ryoga lowered his hand then. They would just have to deal with this the old fashioned way.

Now that he was prepared for his opponents strength, but he almost wasnt prepared for the speed he came at him. Only i_almost/i _though. Ranma was as fast or faster, so he was able to block the first few punches, but could barely manage to deflect most of the force that followed after that. At least since he was prepared for his opponents strength, he didnt let himself go flying this time. He was not going to allow that to happen to him again! That didnt stop any of the pain of the blow though, and he still was forced on the defense. This was _not _good.

Up in the stands, several pairs of eyes were still watching the action. At last Milo snorted and looked away.

I thought that was going to be more interesting than it was, the Scorpio Saint said as he stretched. I dont think its going to last much longer. Its easy to tell who the new Saint is.

You shouldnt be so quick to judge, Milo, Mu said quietly. The boy with the bandana has already proven to be more resourceful than we thought he would be. Perhaps hell find a way to win this yet.

He has spirit too, he might pull through, Aioria felt the need to add. Milo just smirked a little.

Do you want to bet on it? he asked, then jumped as Dohko placed a hand on his shoulder.

Why dont we just see what will happen? the elder Saint said as he turned back to the fight, the others following his example shortly after.

Ryoga felt himself stumble and he fell to one knee to keep from falling over entirely. This was i_humiliating/i _but at least he had managed to get a few blows in against his opponent at least, so he had made _that _much of an impression at least. Unfortunately while he had managed to land those blows, his foe had managed to stand up to them fairly well. He had a lot of stamina and he was i_tough. __Almost as tough as me,/i _Ryoga thought grimly. He was fairly certain he would beat this guy when it came to that regard, but it wasnt going to win him the match, and he was still having trouble seeing through his opponents attack patterns. He was starting to get a sense to his style, but not fast enough.

Well arent you looking pathetic? his opponent might have been bloody but that hadnt seem to have gotten rid of the smirk on his face. I would have thought you were worth more than this. You arent even proving to be a worthy distraction!

Ryoga suppressed an annoyed growl at the way this was going. He hadnt expected this guy to be this much of a challenge. He might actually be in trouble he used his secret weapon. Instead of raising from his crouch as he had been going too, he stayed down at let his head hang. Youre right, he said as monotony as he could. Through his bangs he watched as his opponent started and looked at him in shock.

Imright? the guy repeated slowly. What do you mean by that? Is this some sort of trick?

No, its not, Ryoga let himself drone listlessly, focusing on every single failure of the recent day. From how he had gotten here, to the dishonesty of his deception, to every single mistake he had made during this fight. He let those weight heavily on his heart. It wasnt hard to get into this state of mindhe had never really been good at anything. Even in fighting there were those that always managed to out do him or beat him. He wasnt as creative or clever as most other martial artists wereof course he wouldnt be able to keep up with them.

Then you agree with me that youre pathetic? His opponent sounded almost annoyed by it, but Ryoga didnt allow that small triumph to bring him any joy. And here I thought you had some sort of i_spine_./i How in the name of the gods did you even manage to get this far? You arent worthy to stand in this arena!

Im not worthy of anything.. The weight of the hopelessness and depression weighed down on him, and he took it into himself.

Just look at your self, youre! Wait, whats with your cosm.

Shi Shi Hokodan! The energy blast cut off his opponent before he could finish and launched him halfway across the arena to slam into one of the lower walls. Ryoga slowly looked up. Maybe I dont belong here, but I dont intend to just give up either! A true martial artist never backs down from a fight!

The massive cheer that rose from the spectators caused Ryoga to jump a little. He had almost forgotten he was there. It took him a moment to realize exactly i_why/i _they were cheering. i_F..forme?/i _He couldnt remember the last time that someone had actually cheered an action he ahd taken.

Up in the stands, the unexpected Cosmo blast that had shaken the arena had left the spectators in shock.

Where did that come from? Milo said in disbelief. His cosmo wasnt nearly that powerful before!

Perhaps hes the type that finds more power when theyre under stress? Mu suggested, but the was frowning a little. You cant deny weve see that sort before, but I will admit there was something strange about his cosmo when he used the attack. It seemed unusuallydark. Aioria looked over at him.

So it wasnt just me? The Leo Saint said. It thought it felt a little weird, but its not like we havent sensed desperation like that before.

It was most definitely not just you, Dohko said quietly. Its part of a very specific technique that I havent seen used in a while. I didnt think there was a Saint or Master out there that even knew what it was. Im not sure its a good thing its surfaced now.

What makes you say that? Mu asked.

I suppose part of it is just that I have never liked that technique. Its the sort of technique that can be either a blessing or a curse the one using it. Either they can learn the right way to use it, or they get lost in it and end up falling. I wonder which sort this boy will turn out to be.. Dohko turned back to the fight, a slightly worried look on his face.

Down in the coliseum floor Ryoga found himself grinning a bit foolishly as he let the cheers sink in. There were a few hisses and boos mixed in but over all it was heavenly. People had actually i_liked/i _something he had done for once. He had succeeded!

There was a crash off to the side and Ryoga looked over just in time to see his opponent kicking a bit of debris from the wall off himself. The blonde glared at him as he staggered shakily to his feet.

S..so you had a bit more up your sleeve than I had anticipated! He said, sounding a little nervous, but didnt think I would go down even from a blow like that, did you?

Actually, yes, Ryoga had to admit. You have to be tougher than you look. But that doesnt mean youre going to be tough enough to beat me! The cheering of the crowds echoed in his ears, now he almost believed he would win this.

Well then, his opponent growled in annoyance, a vein pulsing in his forehead, I suppose Ill just have to up my game again. I will admit you had an impressive attack up your sleeve, but I have secrets of my own!

A bright battle aura flared around his opponent then, and Ryoga took a step back in surprise. It flared brighter and for a moment he could swear he saw the shape of something in there. Then his opponent grinned nastily and made a motion with his hands. Broken Compass!

Ryoga crossed his arms and waited for the impact. He felt _something _as the light hit him, there was a flash, and for a moment he felt light headed. Then he shook his head and everything snapped back to normal. He waited for a moment longer. Around him was complete silence as he slowly looked back up at his opponent who was watching him with a superior, expectant, look on his face.

Was that it? he said out loud. His opponent froze.

What?

I thought you were going to attack me!

What? I did..I meanyou really mean that you feel fine?

Of course! Ryoga felt a bit more confidence. What kind of useless attack just throws light at an enemy anyway? Were you trying to blind me?

Its not a useless attack! his opponent had a vein pulsing in his forehead again. Broken Compass is an attack that steals your sense of direction! You shouldnt be able to tell up from down, or left from right. You should be completely disoriented. i_Why arent you affected?_/i

Thats obvious! Ryoga pointed at him. You did it wrong!

I did not do it wrong! His opponent shouted. I can do it perfectly! Ive been practicing for countless years! There is nothing wrong with the technique! i_Youre/i _the one who has to be the problem here! Only someone completely and utterly messed up wouldnt be affected my technique!

M..messed up? Ryoga growled and rushed toward his opponent. Who said Im messed up? How? How could this man know about his problem with directions? The one that had cursed him through all his life! The one thing that had made parts of his live unlivable! Take this! He aimed an upper cut at his opponent, The guy tried to block, but for some reason he seemed slower than Ryoga remembered him being in the exchange before. His punch blasted right past his guard and sent him flying. I am not messed up!

Ryoga turned just as he hit the ground. He waited for several moments for him to get up, but the guy just remained there, prone. Frowning slightly he moved a bit closer. Hey. There was no response to that either, not even a twitch. Still frowning he moved closer again, bringing him almost within touching distance of the downed figured. Hey!

Again there was no response from his opponent and the muttering got louder around him. Slowly Ryoga edged up to him, and gave him a small kick with his foot. Hey! He half shouted but even with that, his opponent only flop over limply. For a moment his heart jumped up to his throat. Had he killed him by accident? He was strong, and he was careful to keep his strength in check when he faced people that were weaker than him, but he had thought this guy was stronger. What if he had miscalculated that? He would be a murderer, a criminal, and he would never be able to come home again. He wasnt sure he would ever want to go home, not with Akane there. She would never be able to look at him at him again, she would think he was a monster!

A slight movement of the guys chest caught Ryogas eye and his own breath exited him in a rush as he realized that he was still alive. Unconscious but alive.

Someone cleared their throat loudly but purposely. Everyone looked up, and Ryoga realized that the Very Important looking man in the robes had stepped up again.

I declare this match over, he announced. The winner has been decided. He here the man paused and Ryoag realized he was now looking down at him. What is your name, boy?

M..mine? Ryoga muttered, suddenly aware of exactly how many people were in the coliseum and were now all i_watching/i _him. Well, probably watching him i_still/i _but he hadnt noticed when he had been fighting. Its umRyoga, Ryoga Hib

The winner is Ryoga, the man announced. He then bowed slightly and moved out the way so that the young woman could step up. Ryoga found himself blushing slightly, since she was rather pretty.. i_Stop that!/i _He told himself sternly, ashamed at his own mind. How dare he betray Akane like that!

I congratulate you, she said smiling at him. You have shown great skill and courage today, and I am pleased to welcome you to the ranks of the Saints. Always remember that you stand for justice in this world, and that the power you wield must not be used for personal gain.

Ryoga had barely had time to start to processing what that could mean before a small door he hadnt noticed opened underneath the seating area of the Important People. Two men in plain leather armor with helmets came out carrying a large bronze colored box. It was very fancily decorated with carvings and raised areas. Most were just fanciful shapes but in the center of each of the four sides was an elaborate compass rose. As he stared they two men brought it over and set it in front of him before bowing then scuttling away.

I am pleased to present you with your Cloth, the woman said after they had left. With this you are now a true Saint of Athena! Welcome, Bronze Saint Pyxis Ryoga!

As the cheering erupted around him, Ryoga stared in complete and utter confusion as the box.

..What?


End file.
